How do I use The Paper Tiger to make my life easier? It might be easier to say how I DON’T use the program!
I am half of a business that services the Alberta oil patch, plus I am a farmer, an artist, a sewer, a woodworker, a gardener and a family history researcher. The Paper Tiger helps me with all of these.
For our business: I have a Files database to record where to look for all of our business files; invoices, information articles, etc.
- Vendor company changed its name? Until PT, I never know how to file receipts when a company changed its name. Now I just enter the new name as the file name and the old name goes into the key words.
- If something happens to me, my husband knows where to look for older, archived files, because the summary of the “Old” location tells him to look on the steel shelves in the east basement.
- I have made my work even easier by using the PT file number as part of the company name in my accounting program (“Fas Gas (File 237)”), so that I don’t have to look it up every time I need to file an invoice.
- Wills, passports, etc. are all detailed, so they can be easily found (eg. “Safe in se corner of basement”).
I have separate databases for different types of books and magazines; art, farming, genealogy, gardening, woodworking.
- Each book becomes a “file”, and I create detailed key words for each one (eg. Art database, book Light and Texture in Watercolours, keywords “page 16 watercolour pansies”, Farming database, magazine Western Horseman 2006 June, keywords “page 27 treating laminitis”). And the Location says to look for that type of book on the shelves in my studio, or the big resin shelves in the basement center, etc.
- I store magazines in magazine boxes, so each box becomes a location; Box 01, Box 02, etc. Then the 20 or 25 magazines in each one are labeled with the “file number”, so I have Box 1, book 22. That way they have more tendency to get put back in the correct place, so that they are easy to find.
Fabric, ornamentations and patterns are detailed in a Sewing PT database, so I know where they are stored (Box 1 on steel shelves in basement center, Box 25 in white cabinet on south basement wall). I have to use solid Rubbermaid totes to store my fabrics, because of mice. So without my PT database, I might have to look through every box to find the piece I want.
I am also slowly detailing our huge collection of photographs, by entering keywords such as when the photo was taken, who is in the photo, where it was taken, and other pertinent information.
My biggest limitation with The Paper Tiger is the time to get everything entered into it!
Doreen Neilley
By Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert
One way to diminish overwhelm is to hold things lightly. This is something I learned from my coach, Dr. Joelle Jay of Pillar Consulting. When we first started working together several years ago, she would hear me talking about all the things I had to do, everything I was working on, how worn out I was, and, well, you know the litany. She would sometimes ask, “Meggin, what if you held these things lightly?”
Her voice would be light as she asked it. Then I’d start to think about what it would feel like it if I held the tasks, commitments, projects, etc. ‘lightly.’ It made a difference.
Think about this for yourself. If you’re seeing your to-do list, your job, your family, and the things that you’re responsible for as an enemy and you’re holding everything so tightly that you’re all bound up and tense, that’s completely different than Joelle’s phrase of ‘hold it lightly.’
Holding things lightly involves a mental shift and a ‘reframing’ of how you are perceiving that which seems to be weighing you down. As Charlotte Bronte said, “A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.” See what you can hold lightly…and then see if you sleep better with the softer, lighter, and more buoyant pillow this provides.
What Does It Mean to ‘Hold Things Lightly’?
Here’s what it is not:
* Holding things tightly.
* Holding things fearfully.
* Holding things in a stingy manner.
* Holding things with clenched jaws.
* Holding things with a standard of perfection hanging over your head.
* Holding things rigidly.
* Holding things as burdens.
* Holding things with worry.
* Holding things ___________.
A teacher who’s a subscriber sent me this email: “I’m a teacher and when I think about everything that has been added to the plate of today’s teacher, I wonder if it’s ever possible to just be ‘just whelmed’ again.”
It’s a reality that people’s plates are “too full,” and thus pretty darn heavy. Practice reframing your view to hold what’s on your plate ‘lightly.’ Holding things lightly is to see them as
* airy
* bright
* soft
* feather-light
* buoyant
* weightless
* lighter-than-air
* floaty
* of low density
Do you get the idea?
The Earth is Heavy. Spring Forth and Dance
In 1988, my husband and I moved to Nevada so I could become a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. We bought a new house in a new development and there was lots of dirt and no vegetation (it is a desert here, after all). We started the process of landscaping it ourselves (mostly Larry). Somewhere during the first year of this project (which continues today, by the way), we went to a field where there were a lot of rocks. Not exactly boulders, but BIG rocks. His idea was that we were going to lift them into the back of a truck we had borrowed. They really weren’t that big and yet, when we tried to lift them, they were VERY HEAVY. I remember exactly the sense that came over me. Earth is so heavy. I guess I had never really thought about it before but after trying to lift a little tiny piece of planet earth, I had this incredible sense of how heavy the earth was.
The reason I’m telling this anecdote, which I hope you haven’t skipped over, is this: Yes, Earth is heavy. Yes, your tasks, responsibilities, commitments, issues, etc. are heavy. And….you can choose to ‘hold them lightly.’ The alternative is to keep holding on to them ‘heavily’ and bear that burden. What does that do to your life? Do you like that weight, that burden, that rigidity? Or would you rather spring forth and …dance?
“Life may not be the party we’d hoped for, but while we’re here, we might as well dance.” Author Unknown
Maybe, if you’re holding things too tightly, feeling oppressed, or your burden is just too heavy, consider thinking about whatever that is and say, “In the big scheme of things, this _______ is small compared to __________.”
It’s not too hard to come up with what to put in the last blank. Just watch the news or look around next time you go to the grocery store or think about someone who has lost their child to illness. Pretty much, that helps me to reframe (that’s a key word & concept) my thinking to move to holding something more “lightly.”
Doing so does not negate your feelings of overwhelm (fear, stress, anger, frustration, pain, etc.), however it may help to put them in perspective.
See if this works for you.
And if the heaviness of your responsibilities is just one area that overwhelms you – and you would like to be ‘just whelmed,’ then you’re invited to join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (free!) at
**I Want to Be Just Whelmed (http://www.JustWhelmed.com)
If you would prefer quick, short weekly tips, then the following site is another place to find suggestions and other tools to support you in your quest for peaceful productivity:
**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)
(c) 2010 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh
Our customers come from all over the world and use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System in the most fantastic ways! Would you be willing to write a short 500 word BLOG post about how you use Paper Tiger in your office or home? We want to tell the world how people in various professions use the software to reduce stress and better organize their business & personal life. If you will take a few minutes to write a BLOG post and we post it (we plan to post all entries), we will credit your Paper Tiger Online account for 3 months of service for FREE and automatically enter you into our Apple iPad Giveaway – drawing to be held on October 31st!
Send your 500 word BLOG post to sales@thepapertiger.com. Please feel free to include pictures, audio or video content. To see an example of a BLOG post, Click Here.
Also, you may have specific stories relating to one or more of the examples in Stephanie Calahan’s 3-part article series entitled Many Uses of Paper Tiger.
We look forward to hearing how you have implemented Paper Tiger in your office!
Use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to Help You Move!
Moving to a new home is categorized as one of the top five stressors in life. There’s no magic blueprint to follow because everyone is different. Organize as you pack and avoid the risk of overwhelming stress.
I recently moved to a new house and used Paper Tiger Online to help me get everything packed in a methodical way. As I packed each box, I listed the items in the Paper Tiger database.
• I first created a Location name in the Paper Tiger database for each room in the new house. (kitchen, dining room, living room, den, laundry room, basement, etc.)
• Printed several labels for each room to be placed on the boxes. (labels for kitchen, dining room, living room, den, laundry room, basement, etc.)
• When I filled a box, I would list each item in the Keywords section in the ‘location’ where it would go in the new house, placed the label onto the box and wrote the corresponding Item number on the label to match the Item number in Paper Tiger.
• After all boxes were packed and everything listed in Paper Tiger, I printed out a complete Item List Report, and then an Item List Report for each room. (Location)
I used the packing time as the perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning and get rid of things we no longer needed.
• Shredded old files that needed to be tossed.
• Bagged clothing and other items no longer needed and dropped off to Goodwill.
You’re probably thinking this was quite a hassle while packing up, but actually it didn’t take that much more time. Unpacking was so much easier than any other move I’ve made, because everyone knew where the boxes should be placed. And with the Item List Report in each room, we didn’t have to search through every box to find something before it was unpacked. We just searched Paper Tiger!
Note (things to remember):
If you have help when packing, (whether it be professional movers or family members):
• Set up your Locations (room names) into Paper Tiger Online with a capacity of 20 in each Location,
• Give each member of the family a notepad and pen with instructions to write down everything as they pack and label each box correctly. You decide how the labeling will work so everyone understands and uses the same method. If this doesn’t happen, your system will fail miserably.
• Once everyone is finished, you can enter all of the information into your filing system so that you have a complete list of everything that’s being moved.
• One of the last things to do before packing up your computer and printer is to print off copies of your list for each Location (room name). This will be especially helpful if you don’t have Internet access on moving day.
I was so glad I used Paper Tiger Online! When we needed something that wasn’t unpacked yet, I just searched Paper Tiger and knew exactly what room and box number to find it. I avoided the chaos of having a mountain of boxes and no idea where anything was.
Moving offices is a huge undertaking. The larger your organization is, the more complicated it will be to move. It could take you months of planning and involve a lot of people in order to make a smooth transition. Something that you really need is a resource management system or indexing system, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to help you move your office.
By implementing such a system at this point, you’ll save a lot of time and effort by getting rid of unnecessary files and streamlining systems, so your operations will run more smoothly when you complete the big move. This is also a perfect time to reevaluate all of your files and determine one of three actions for every file.
Your choices will be action, archive, or discard. This is a vital component of the move, because the new filing system will be able to tell everyone where files are located as nothing will be the same as it is in the current office. Better to have one upheaval than two.
This document management system will greatly reduce the amount of files needing to be moved. This will be cost effective and give you more space to utilize in other ways. It will also mean less time wasted on filing and retrieval of documents because it will be much more user friendly. In addition, it’s vital that files are packed and transported securely so you don’t breach privacy or confidentiality.
If you’ve been using an archaic filing system up until this point, it’s the ideal chance to upgrade to a more practical document management system. Instead of the old alphabetical or numerical system, use a personalized system for naming files. This will cut out all duplication due to different people using different titles for the same type files. And because everyone has access to the same files, it’s easier to organize.
Note Where Each Box Or Item Should Be Placed In The New Location
Implementing this indexing system prior to your move will not only allow you to index your paper files, but books, training manuals, CDs, DVDs, etc. Another broad category you can list in this indexing system is all office furniture including: desks, chairs, filing cabinets, bookcases and tables. Then you have all the electrical equipment such as: computers (and their accessories), printers, photocopiers, fax machines, shredders, microwaves, refrigerators, etc. There’s also the copious quantity of stationery and office supplies to pack as well.
Don’t forget to index all the moving boxes ensuring all contents in each box are input into the keywords section. You should also note where each box or item should be placed in the new location.
You Need a Detailed Plan
It’s important to create a very detailed plan so that every aspect of the move is carefully coordinated in an efficient manner. You also need to ensure that as little downtime as possible occurs in order to maintain your high standard of customer service. It’s a wise idea to appoint one or more people to act as moving coordinators so there’s less disruption to the regular work.
One major component to consider is transportation. Generally, you hire a moving company that specializes in this sort of work. However, their job is simply loading, moving and unloading trucks. It’s your responsibility to ensure everything is planned perfectly so the move is seamless and everything gets placed in the new location as it should.
To be efficient, you need to create a master plan and be able to have paper and computer based copies, because during the downtime, you’ll still need access to it.
The coordinator(s) can update the moving plans as new things are added. They should be thoroughly familiar with the new premises and design a floor plan of where everyone will sit and where all furniture will be placed so moving day runs like a well-oiled machine. It’s generally recommended to choose either Thursday or Friday for the move so you have the whole weekend as well.
The coordinator(s) can design documents relating to check lists, FAQs about the move and people’s availability to assist with the move itself. It’s important to have enough manpower or the move will take much longer than necessary. The coordinator(s), I.T. people, the PABX supplier and other phone people will be required to ensure phones, cabling, computers and the Internet are all working as quickly as possible.
Obviously not everyone will be set up at workstations and fully functioning at the same time. The coordinator will have to liaise with management to ensure that the minimum number of people are needed to maintain customer service are there and set up, complete with all workstations, and able to work until everything else is settled.
Implement Paper Tiger Today and Save Money!
Unless you want absolute chaos, you really need Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to help you move your office. You’ll have instant access to where every document and office inventory are located, because you were wise enough to implement the system to prepare for the move. It’s estimated that people waste 150 hours per year just looking for lost information, so you’ll save money too!
This testimony from Donna T. is just another great way to use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System.
Paper Tiger, especially the online version, can be very useful to anyone with disability issues or for caretakers. It’s much easier to get a call from a caretaker asking where Mom’s (whatever) is, and being able to say, bottom drawer in the hall cabinet in the blue box, (than to tell the hired aide or relative who is helping, try the cabinet in the hall on the first and second floor, or her bottom drawer in the bedroom or…. ) Instantly (and now even from work), with your < Paper Tiger > system, someone can just pull up Mom’s database and type in “Whatsamadoodle” and the location comes up – at least if you have a system that keeps things where they “go”. Works for Mom’s files too – accountant comes over (if you know one well enough) and asks-Where’s mom’s receipts for last April – and you can tell him “number 25 in the black file cabinet.” (which she named Keep)- he would have thought “receipts” and never found it with her old system.)
Outlined below are 10 great reasons to move to Paper Tiger Online for your document management and filing system needs!
1. FILE or FIND from ANYWHERE – See your data no matter where you are. For example, if you are on a business trip and need to have a document sent to you or if you want to catch up on some filing while at home, Paper Tiger Online makes this very easy!
2. SHARING – COMING SOON! When it comes time to add others in your office (an administrator, co-workers, managers, etc.), Paper Tiger Online makes this a 60 second process! It could not be easier to share the information in your office. There is no computer networking or IT hassles to deal with, just decide who you want to add to your Paper Tiger Online account and presto…the new user is added to the account. You can even control what level of access that they have and what data they can see and/or modify.
3. ANY DEVICE or ANY BROWSER or ANY OPERATING SYSTEM (OS) – Paper Tiger Online runs on the Web (“In The Cloud”). So, it will work great with any web enabled device (Apple iPad, Apple iPod Touch, Apple iPhone, Google Android phones or any other Web enabled device). It also works with almost any browser and on any operating system (including Windows, Mac or Linux).
-Internet Explorer 7 and newer
-Mozilla Firefox 3 and newer
-Safari 3 and newer
-Google Chrome 4 and newer
4. NO SOFTWARE – There is no software to install and all the updates to the system, including on-going feature enhancements, just automatically appear. You don’t have to do a thing to maintain the product. No more worries about which operating system works with which product or what software conflicts with what product, etc. Paper Tiger Online makes filing SIMPLE!
5. AUTOMATIC BACKUPS & EASY EXPORT – Paper Tiger Online is housed at the industry leading IT hosting provider Rackspace. Rackspace is a publicly traded IT hosting company (NYSE symbol RAX) servicing over 80,000 products like Paper Tiger Online. Your data is automatically backed up and security, as well as system up-time, are their primary concerns. In addition, you can easily export a copy of your data from Paper Tiger Online to your local computer at any time, just for safekeeping.
6. EASY CONVERSION – If you are a Paper Tiger Desktop customer, your existing data will be converted and uploaded into Paper Tiger Online. The entire process takes about 10 minutes and we are standing by to help you, if you need assistance.
7. FEATURES – Paper Tiger Online currently has a more intuitive interface, is much easier to use, is faster, better tab support and more robust help functionality. This is just the beginning. There are many exciting features planned for the new Paper Tiger Online. These new features, as they are released, will automatically appear in your system. You will be notified of new features as they are made available.
8. LOWER COST – When you and/or your staff’s time are considered, it is much less expensive to run software “In The Cloud”. You and your team are relieved of any and all computer/software/IT hassles. The system SIMPLY WORKS! Paper Tiger Online is very low cost…teams can be on the system for a few dollars per person/per month. Paper Tiger Online will be there for you when you need it and you don’t have to spend any of your time worrying about software!
9. SPECIAL PRICING & CANCEL ANYTIME – As an existing Paper Tiger Customer, if you subscribe to Paper Tiger Online Pro yearly plan by September 7, 2010, you will receive a 30% discount off of the regular monthly amount. Best of all, the price you pay is locked in for as long as you have your account active. We will not raise your annual cost! You can try Paper Tiger Online and cancel at any time. If you Sign Up for an annual plan and cancel, you will receive a prorated refund. Monthly or Annual, you will not be billed further. No gimmicks…just a straight forward good deal.
10. START IN 60 SECONDS! – setting up an account in Paper Tiger takes just 60 seconds! You will find the process SIMPLE and PAINLESS…almost FUN! Just like you will find using Paper Tiger Online every day to manage the paper in your life! Give it a try…we think you will Love It.
Do you hate filing? Now you can Find Anything in Your Office in 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! The number one paper management software product is now “in the cloud” – Paper Tiger Online is now available & customers can sign up for a FREE FOREVER account in 60 seconds!
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 20, 2010 – Paper Tiger Document Management Software & Filing System has set the standard for helping companies and individuals get control of something they hate…filing the paper on their desk & in their office. First launched in 1998 as a desktop software product, Paper Tiger software is now “in the cloud” and available worldwide on the Internet (SaaS – software as a service).
Now anyone can start solving their problems with the paper in their office in under 60 seconds for FREE. If a messy desk is your problem, if your alphabetic filing system breaks down each time you have staff turnover, if members of your team want to be able to quickly and easily share information in the office or if you are wasting too much time each week looking for lost information, then Paper Tiger Online could be just what is needed. The new filing system product is designed for anyone who wants to get a better handle on the paper-based information in the office. Currently tens-of-thousands of organizations worldwide use the existing desktop (client) version of Paper Tiger software.
Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system for paper office files. It works like a search engine for paper files to help companies and individuals stay organized! People using the software can save over 150 hours per year by eliminating the time-consuming task of looking for lost information. Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software uses the power of the computer to index the hanging file folders in office file cabinets. This method works much better than old-fashioned alphabetic methods and is a great alternative to costly and time consuming scanning and imaging solutions.
Using Paper Tiger Online, customers will be able to access their information from anywhere with an Internet connection. They will no longer have to worry about what computer they are using (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) or if they have backed up their data. They can even see their Paper Tiger information on the Apple iPad, Apple iPod Touch, Apple iPhone, Android phones and most other web-enabled devices. The new software works with almost any Internet browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc.) Adding an additional member of their team to Paper Tiger Online is so easy, it just takes a minute and there are no networking/technical hassles!
“Finally, everyone including our Mac customers, can use Paper Tiger software. With our FREE FOREVER account, anyone can start using the software in under 60 seconds by going to our website!”, says James D. Grady, President & CEO of The Monticello Corporation, the makers of Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software. “Our total focus with Paper Tiger Online was to make filing & managing paper much easier to do. People want to stay organized & clear the piles of paper off their desk, but not spend their life doing it.”, Grady continues.
Tens-of-thousands of companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations around the world use Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software to get organized and manage their office filing tasks much more productively. What most people do not know is that there are only 5 things you can do with a piece of paper – (1) Toss It (2) Stack It (3) File It Alphabetically (4) Scan It or (5) Index It using a product like Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software. The paperless office never quite made it to reality, alphabetic methods quickly break down and become out-of-date, and scanning solutions are costly and very difficult to implement. Also, many documents (signed contracts, presentations, etc.) must be kept in their original paper form. Some people are uncomfortable with scanning documents due to the possibility that they could lose everything in the event of a technical malfunction. For a complete list of these options and the pros and cons of each, see our Document Management Decision Guide.
About The Monticello Corporation, makers of Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software.
Founded in 1995, The Monticello Corporation’s mission is to enhance its customers’ businesses and personal effectiveness by providing the training, tools and motivation to help them solve their problems with filing and document management. The company’s main product, Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software, was created as a type of inventory management system (like a chart of accounts) for physical hanging files (you know, the green, yellow, blue and red ones in your file cabinet!)
Monticello got its name from the legendary home of Thomas Jefferson, U.S. president from 1801-1809. An avid collector of books and music, Jefferson transferred his personal library of more than 6,000 volumes to the Library of Congress in 1815, doubling its size and permanently expanding the scope of its collections.
Time Management at work and play!
by Denise Russos, Progressive Organizing Solutions and Paper Tiger Expert
This article gives us a great plan to better manage our time so that we can get things done! Please note in #5 where Denise coaches us to keep your work place, desk and filing needs simple and streamlined. The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System (Paper Tiger Online or Paper Tiger desktop version) will help you accomplish this very efficiently and be able to later find what you’ve filed!
Too many times we work in places that we never feel like we get our work accomplished. There are days that we constantly seem to be interrupted over and over again, so much so that by the time we leave work, we realize that nothing that was supposed to get done, actually got done!
Here are some statistics about how typical office workers feel about their days at work.
“Research shows that this is how office workers spend their typical work day:
- 28%: Unnecessary interruptions (with recovery time)
- 25%: Creating content (productive work)
- 20%: Meetings (may or may not be conclusive with action plan)
- 15%: Searching for information (half the time, search does not yield results)
- 12%: Thinking and reflecting (productive, creative work)
So what do you do?
1. Have a clear objective of what you want to achieve for the day or the next 2 hours and let nothing distract you. If you need to focus and concentrate, then turn off the chats (digital or not) and the email alerts.
2. Get a draft copy of your work out in the designated time – even if it is not perfect. Start with a framework and fill in the content as you go along. Keep the momentum going, it is progress against perfection.
3. Do not allow yourself to be interrupted unnecessarily – turn off the emails alerts, online chats and let the answering machine do its work if you are doing creative or productive work. Manage your emails with filters and rules.
4. Take breaks in between chunks of concentrated work time – enjoy your brief coffee break. Do a little stretching, take a deep breath, relax your neck and your shoulders and then come back to more focus work.
5. Keep it simple and clean – your work place, desk and filing needs to be simple and streamlined. Make good use of the trash bin. This un-cluttering will clear your mind for more creative and productive work.
6. Set yourself up for efficient work before hand – get your documents, files, and references organized each time before you wrap up work so you do not waste time looking for files and tools the next time you start work.
7. Enjoy your work – that will fuel you to be productive at work. (Retrieved from The Desk Demon Network)
Wow! Can you imagine feeling that if you work every day for four hours a day that you really only get one hour of work done every day? That’s such a tremendous waste of time!
So let’s say you use the formula above to be more efficient at work. Do you think this is feasible?
There are two of the items above that I want you to focus on.
The first is #1. Have a clear objective. Write it down and pretend it’s written in Gold and decide you will achieve that goal!
The second is #3. Stop letting interruptions rule your day.
Recently I’ve had a co-worker interrupt me 11 times in one day. Her interruptions hit the high time today when knowing that I was on the phone, she walked into my office, talking to me very loudly, so loudly I couldn’t hear the person on the phone.
You may be that person who is interrupting your co-workers and not getting your work done because of it.
If you are, then work on understanding why. Are you a person who needs to be around other people more than working alone? Whatever the reason, work on focusing on your work in shorter stretches of time and then taking a break.
There are many ways to increase your productivity at work, and time management is just one of them.
Hope this helps,
Denise Russos
http://twitter.com/DeniseRussos
In 1998, we revolutionized the way the world files and manages paper by introducing Paper Tiger Desktop. The first product was based on a simple concept…enlist the computer to create an easy-to-use index of the paper in your life (or your organization) so that you can Find Anything in Your Office in 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!
The first product allowed people to:
* Clear their desk.
* Stop trying to remember where they filed things.
* Easily share information with others in the office.
* Make it possible for the office manager to actually take a vacation knowing that everyone will use Paper Tiger to find what they need.
Paper Tiger customers could move beyond the piles everywhere or a broken, non-functional alphabetic method to using a computer to better manage their ever-increasing flow of paper. All of this without the cost, hassles (very time consuming), and risks associated with using a scanner to digitize their paper files.
Forget About Backups, Operating Systems, and Your IT Department!
So, now in 2010, as the world of technology has evolved, we are very happy to announce Paper Tiger Online! This product is amazing. Using Paper Tiger Online, you will be able to access your information from anywhere with an Internet connection. You will no longer have to worry about what computer you are using (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) or if you have backed up your data (we automatically do it for you!) You can even see your Paper Tiger information on the Apple iPad, Apple iPod Touch, Apple iPhone, Android phones and most other web-enabled devices. The new software works with almost any Internet browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc.) To add an additional member of your team to Paper Tiger Online is so easy, it just takes a minute and there are no networking/technical hassles!
If you are currently a Paper Tiger Desktop customer, your database can be imported to the new Paper Tiger Online. The entire process should take you about 10 minutes. If you have any issues, we will prepare your database for you to import!
The Paper Tiger Online application and your data are hosted at the industry-leading, IT hosting provider Rackspace. Rackspace is a publicly traded company that has over 80,000 cloud hosting clients such as Paper Tiger Online. We have taken every step possible to guarantee 100% application uptime and maximum security of your data.
Looking Ahead with Paper Tiger Online
The future of computing belongs to the Internet. We have grand plans for Paper Tiger Online. As people in business struggle to manage both their paper and digital worlds, there is a need for a 21st century filing system that is adept at both paper and digital, and this information needs to be available on any device. You can let your imagination run with what we are building! As a Paper Tiger Online customer, you will be able to take advantage of the new features, as they become available.
Best of all, the cost to use Paper Tiger Online is very modest and will fit almost any budget. There is a wide range of PLANS/PRICING available – there is even a limited FREE FOREVER account for the modest user that allows up to 100 Items (hanging file folders).
Special Pricing for Our Loyal Customers
As a current Paper Tiger customer, by ordering now and paying for a Paper Tiger Pro yearly plan, you will receive a 30% discount over the regular monthly price. The great news is that by subscribing to Paper Tiger Online during the launch period, you are locking in this price permanently. That’s right, for as long as you have your Paper Tiger Online account, your cost will remain at the discounted price that you paid when you signed up. If you are a current Paper Tiger desktop user, contact sales@thepapertiger.com and ask how to get the special price. This offer ends at midnight Tuesday, September 7, 2010.
Order with confidence, there is no contract and you can cancel whenever you wish. You can even export your data at any time for safekeeping or if you decide to cancel.
We hope you will join us by subscribing to Paper Tiger Online. We look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Sincerely,
The Paper Tiger Team
Record keeping is a vital part of any business. Whether you’re involved with law, accountancy, human resources or taxation, thousands of records are created and need to be maintained for many years. Legal record keeping doesn’t have to be complicated.
A document management system isn’t a money making part of the business. However, accountants, consultants, lawyers, real estate agents, government, schools – no matter your type of business or organization — rely heavily on accurate records being kept. An efficient document management system, like Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System gives everyone access to records when needed.
If six lawyers are all working on one major case, they’ll all need access to the same files. Instead of the old, clumsy way of having to go through filing cabinets to find them each time, each person merely has to use their keyboard to quickly locate the file and retrieve it. Once the file has been dealt with on that particular occasion, information in the system is updated and the file can be returned to its original storage place.
In professional occupations such as lawyers, doctors and accountants, regulations are changing all the time. They must also deal with an ever changing volume of local, state and federal laws and ensure they comply with them all. If they implement a smart document management system, every time a new law is passed and information is received, it can be added to the relevant files so everyone has the updated information.
The old problem of files sitting on people’s desks eternally waiting for certain documents to arrive before they can be actioned is gone. This will reduce the amount of time spent on filing and retrieval of files.
Human resources and payroll departments of large organizations rely heavily on the correct filing and retention of personnel files on a permanent basis. This is a legal necessity and is vital for the company to be able to access the records when dealing with salaries and any other personnel problems that may arise.
Businesses may operate in different states and countries where laws differ. These laws must not only be recorded and stored correctly, but be easily retrieved when necessary. Once the new software has been implemented, thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours will be saved. This time and money can be devoted to the more lucrative parts of the business.
Legal record keeping doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s in everyone’s best interest to use the most user-friendly document management system available. Your business will become far more profitable if you do so, because money and time can be focused on the important aspects of your job. The mundane filing and retrieval processes will be faster and more efficient.
You can use Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to help your company in meeting ISO 9001 QMS standards. You can ensure all documents and files are named and stored in the same standardized way throughout the company, no matter how many offices or branches you have in whatever countries they’re in.
That’s how much the Internet and this system will help you. Companies that stick to using outdated methods of filing will end up becoming so bogged down with years worth of manual records that they will simply not be able to cope and will collapse under the costly burden of maintaining such a system.
by Sherry Borsheim of Simply Productive and a Paper Tiger Expert
Here’s how to you use your tickler file system. The tickler file system reminds you of important follow-up (for anything that requires your attention in the future:
- It’s an accordion file with tabs for each day of the current month (1-31), followed by tabs for each month of the year (Jan – Dec).
- Behind the accordion file are hanging files with tabs you can tailor to your particular repetitive actions (call, calls expected, bills to pay, discuss, data entry, expense reimbursement, read, to write, etc. See below for more details under ACT.) NOTE – you will have to purchase the plastic tabs, the hanging files and containers to put them in.
- I believe that there are 2 reasons why people pile papers:
- Afraid they will never find it again; or
- Don’t want to act on it
- To get in the habit of checking the tickler file system daily, I recommend that you schedule a daily “appointment” in your calendar that says “Check Tickler”. Do this at the same time everyday for a month and you will have formed a new habit!
- You can stand the system up in a desktop file frame or place it in your desk drawer – wherever it’s easiest to check it on a daily basis.
- No more “I’ll just set it here for now…” Now those piles of paper cluttering your desk or floor will have a new home.
- Now you have a place for phone messages, invitations, tickets, bill receipts, claim stubs, and anything that requires action by you in the future!
There are only FOUR things you can do with paper: File, Act, Schedule or Toss. I use the acronym F.A.S.T. As you open your mail over the wastepaper basket, keep the F.A.S.T. principle in mind as you sort it accordingly.
FILE
- Reference items are placed in a tray labeled TO FILE.
- Filing is done on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the volume of material you accumulate.
- Simply Productive will show you how you should set this up.
- You can find anything you file or store in 5 seconds or less, guaranteed! The system I recommend for paper-based files is The Paper Tiger Filing System software, which combines an easy-to-use computer indexing system with proven paper management methods developed by The Monticello Corporation.
ACT
- Items that require action are placed in your Tickler File System to be acted on later.
- There are two components to a good tickler file system. Part of the system includes an accordion file with tabs for each day of the month (1-31) and each month of the year (Jan-Dec), followed by a tab for Future Years. The other part of your tickler system is made of individual folders labeled for specific and repetitive actions, such as:
- Call
- Calls Expected – a folder to put notes in for calls in which you are waiting
- Data Entry – a place to put business cards and other things that need to be entered into your computer
- Discuss – a folder to put notes in for weekly meetings with the same person, or if you meet with several people weekly, you may have individual folders with their names on them
- Errands – a folder to hold coupons, shopping lists, claim receipts, etc.
- Pay – a place to put your bills until they are paid
- Photocopy
- Read
- Receipts or Expense Reimbursement – a place to store your receipts until you submit them
- Write – a place to store thank-you cards, postage stamps, return address labels, letterhead.
SCHEDULE
Items to schedule in your dayplanner (paper planner or electronic planner).
- Write all pertinent information in your dayplanner (Example – name of person, event, location, phone number, etc.)
- File the paper in your tickler system for that particular day or toss it.
TOSS
Items which do not enhance your life can be immediately tossed! (NOTE: “Toss” means “get it out of here.” One form of tossing is to give it to someone else who would find it useful.)
Ask yourself these questions to determine whether or not to toss something:
- By the time I might need this, will it be out-of-date?
- Do I want/choose to keep this? (Notice that I did not ask if you “should” keep it.)
- If I need it later, can I easily get it elsewhere?
- Is it obsolete now?
- Is it too late to do this?
- Does anyone else care if I keep this? (Based on how important that person is to you, you may choose to keep something – such as an ugly family heirloom that does not fit your decor – because of its value to someone else.)
- For bills already paid, am I keeping them just because, or is there any benefit to keeping them? Consider the following:
- If you own your own business, keeping the bill for business expenses will be helpful if you get audited and need to prove legitimate expenses.
- If these are personal bills that are not tax-deductible, identify if there is any benefit to keeping them.
- You can deduct medical bills if they total a certain percentage of your income for the year. For most people, medical bills are not deductible because the percentage is too low.
- Keeping the bill itself will not prove that you paid it. If you pay by check or electronically, you have a paper or electronic trail to prove that you’ve paid the bill.
- If you are keeping bills to help you with your budget process, you may benefit from using a software program like Quickbooks to help track your expenses. Once you enter the data into Quickbooks, you may not find any benefit to keeping the bills themselves.
About the Author
Sherry Borsheim, owner of Simply Productive, has been helping people to work smarter, not harder for years. She specializes in resolving paper, time and information management issues. To learn more about eliminating the paper pile-up and in vastly improving your productivity, contact Simply Productive at 604-233-7076.
Article Resource: Too Much Paper in Your Life DO IT F.A.S.T.!
Organizations face many tough choices in today’s business world. The struggle to keep up with new advances in technology and reduce carbon emissions is difficult. There is always pressure to cut costs and increase productivity. The positive news is that your document management system can be environmentally friendly whilst still being cost effective.
Whether you believe that global warming is an issue for the planet or not, it’s everyone’s responsibility to do all they can to minimize the impact their business has on the environment. Typical offices waste a lot of paper and power needlessly. This can easily be rectified by making some smart business decisions.
The First Step – Standardization
The first change should be to implement an intelligent document management software system, like The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, that can eliminate the need for waste, save money, reduce power usage and increase productivity. If such a system is put in place, your current method of filing would change completely. Standardize the way that all files are labeled and that will avoid unnecessary duplication. Once individual documents are finished with, they can be added to the appropriate file.
Reduce Paper Usage
Because millions of documents are in different formats, they can be actioned without first converting them to paper. This immediately reduces the need for such vast quantities of paper to be used. A recent study calculated the additional costs associated with a single sheet of office paper, discovered that you have to multiply it by a factor of 30. This means that a $5 ream of paper would cost around $150. The average office worker uses around 10,000 sheets a year. One company calculated that if each of their workers saved one sheet of paper a week, they would save $700,000 per year.
If people start becoming smarter about their paper usage, the savings would be incalculable just for the paper alone. This means such signs as “think before you print” and “recycle that waste paper” should start appearing all over the office.
Documents can be edited electronically and saved on a CD or DVD for filing instead of printing because the files now have the ability to contain all formats. Paper won’t ever disappear completely, but a heavy reduction is vital.
Save Money and Boost Productivity
All staff will have access to the same filing system software and can instantly locate relevant files and documents at any time. This reduces filing and retrieval times and so decreases your overall costs while increasing productivity.
To decreases your power bill and carbon footprint at the same time, all staff should get into the habit of turning off all printing equipment when not being used. Of course, this is even more important at the end of the work day.
Once your document management system is in place and working smoothly, you won’t need as much room for file storage because everything will have been categorized in one of three ways; action, archive, or destroy. You won’t have desks overflowing with documents and files that haven’t been actioned or are just put in the “too hard” basket.
Staff will become more productive and office morale will be higher because they are able to work on more productive tasks. Proven statistics say that 20% of the work produces 80% of the revenue and 80% of the work only produces 20% of the revenue. Clumsy filing systems are time and money eaters. Now you can improve the percentages. Because of this increased efficiency and the smarter use of paper and all office equipment, your power bills should decrease as well.
The Impact on the Environment
If you stop to consider the ramifications of utilizing a more efficient document management system on other associated industries, it makes no sense to stick to the old methods. The paper industry uses vast amounts of pulp, energy and water and pump out tons of greenhouse gases. If the need for paper decreases dramatically, thousands of trees can be saved, more water can be conserved and less energy will be needed. If the number of trees being cut down is reduced, the result will be cleaner air and a healthier environment.
The Big Picture
It’s also vital to think of the bigger picture in terms of the next generation. You may not live to see the long-term effects of these necessary changes, but your children will. Should they have to live on a sick planet because their parents and grandparents badly damaged the environment through carelessness?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a small business owner or the CEO of the largest corporation. If you have filing to do, remember that your document management system can be environmentally friendly while being cost effective.
When thinking about Document Management Systems and whether to upgrade your existing one to improve business, some factors are always considered, but many people underestimate the true value of smart document management systems.
Productivity and the Bottom Line
It’s only natural that productivity and the bottom line are the first considerations. Countless hours and thousands of dollars are wasted on filing and retrieving documents because of archaic filing systems that have been in place for years. Because most filing systems start small and grow as the need arises, they become unwieldy. People file documents using differing criteria and so duplicate files are often created.
Today’s business world is so different to 20 years ago, because you now have so many different methods of creating documents and files. Numerous paper based items are still very common. However, you also have emails and attachments, photos, CDs, DVDs, PowerPoint presentations and more. Somehow all these “documents” need to be stored in the same filing system for later retrieval or archival purposes.
If you implement a smart document management software to logically index every document and file in the same standardized way throughout every area of your business, the benefits will be enormous. There won’t be any more cases of file duplication. Everything will be easier to find. This will save lots of hours and increase productivity enormously, which results in increased bottom line.
Stress Reduction of Staff
Stress is an often unseen concern of management and staff. If your people are over stressed, they won’t function well and filing is the last thing they will want to do. They are likely to take sick days rather than deal with the immensely tedious and stressful task of facing their desks full of files and documents every single day. Instead of feeling motivated to do a good job, their morale decreases and this also affects productivity in a negative manner.
Improving your filing system will have an enormous impact on your office and will reduce stress because your staff will be able to find the files they need. Your office will be more organized and your staff will be able to contribute more to company success. By demonstrating you care what they think and feel, you gain more loyal employees and this makes for a more stable company.
Future Expansion
Once you implement proper filing system software and start to reap the benefits, plans can be made for faster expansion of your business. You’ll have much tighter control of costs and productivity. You’ll have more confidence that the staff is happy doing more important work and contributing to the company’s overall success instead of facing the tedium of stacks of files they previously had to contend with. You can guide the company in the right direction and time can be better focused on achieving these vital goals.
Compliance
Once your filing management system is in place, your company will be in a stronger position to be fully compliant with all pertinent regulations relating to the management of all data, media and information. As the number of laws and the severity of punishment that governs document management increases, the need to maintain accurate records becomes even more vital to all companies.
Logical Conclusion
Once you understand the true value of a smart document management system, like The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System and the many ways it impacts your company, there’s only one real decision to make. It’s not a question of IF you implement such a system, but WHEN. Bring your company into the 21st century and set it up for major success now and in the future.
